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Israeli troops accused of corpse abuse

The Israeli army has launched an investigation into photographs apparently showing soldiers posing next to the bodies of dead Palestinians.

19 Nov 2004 11:37 GMT

Some Israeli soldiers press their feet into dead Palestinians

One such picture, published in the mass-selling Yediot Aharonot Israeli daily, shows a soldier pointing his weapon at a corpse while pressing his foot into the half-naked body.

"I ordered the military police to open an investigation and I intend to shed full light on this matter," chief of Staff General Moshe Yaalon told military radio on Friday.

"It is inconceivable that such things should happen in the ranks of Israel's army," he added.

"They shoot and have their pictures taken" read Yediot's headline as the paper went on to detail "ways that soldiers play with bodies".

Another picture shows a dead man, a cigarette allegedly stuck in his mouth by troops. When walking by a Palestinian shot in combat, several troops would "fire into the dead body. One of them even shot four bullets," one soldier is quoted as saying by the newspaper.

"Our unit commander told us it was morally wrong, especially for that soldier who fired the four shots. His punishment? He was downgraded to serving as the commander's driver and then radio," the soldier was reported as saying.